PHIL BAUMGAERTNER, KEY CITY PUBLIC THEATRE / CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Olivia, played by Angela Amos (middle) recoils from the advances of Malvolio, played by David Natale, much to the amusement of Maria, played by Rosaletta Curry, in Key City Public Theatre's "Twelfth Night."

Compiling a survey of the previous year's best local theater is one of the things I look forward to the most ... and least.

I look forward to it because it's fun, and impressive, to think about how much great theater the Kitsap area has been availed of between the time the Big Ticker clicked onto 2012 and the time it'll click over to 2013.

The dread comes from in inevitability of this survey's being incomplete. After 54 stage productions in 52 weeks, from Port Townsend to Gig Harbor, there's a lot to be praised and included, and I'm always afraid of leaving someone or something out.

The year just passed seemed especially good. I hope you all got out to see some of it.

And I hope the acknowledgements below (with snippets from the reviews), while admittedly far from comprehensive, at least provide a few memories for those who frequent the local scene. For the rest of you, I hope it provides an idea of what you're missing:

BEST ACTOR — MUSICAL

Jesse Smith (Tommy), "The Who's Tommy," Bainbridge Performing Arts: "Smith is spellbinding as the grown Tommy, narrating his pre-transformation years and then performing the "aware" Tommy with terrific voice and arresting physicality."

I'd be remiss if I didn't also tip the ol' beanie in the direction of Port Townsend, where some tremendous work indeed was turned in by Equity (paid) actors at Key City Public Theater, including Charlie Bethel ("Twelfth Night" and the one-man "This Wonderful Life"), Jeff Alan Pierce ("Twelfth Night" and "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris") and David Natale (The Art of Dining" and "Twelfth Night").

BEST ACTRESS — MUSICAL

Myriah Riedel (Eliza Doolittle), "My Fair Lady," Ovation! Musical Theatre Bainbridge: "... this game is Riedel Rules, a showcase for her singing, acting and comedic talents, in which she's equally, effortlessly at home in Eliza's Covent Garden rags and the stunning, bejeweled Embassy Ball gown that gets everyone's attention ... except Higgins. She sang most of her songs in the clarion, musical-theater voice I've grown accustomed to in Ovation! shows like "Pirates of Penzance," "Brigadoon" and "Carnival." For "I Could've Danced All Night," though, she shifted vocal gears into a more operatic delivery, capping the song with a spectacular high note. And whether she's the cocky Cockney of the early scenes or the used-up byproduct of Higgins' experiment, her acting is redoubtable. I could go on and on. But in the simplest terms possible: Myriah do good."

Keiko Green, "Private Eyes," Bainbridge Performing Arts: "... Green, a recent island arrival who is hereby invited to stay as long as she pleases, sizzles throughout as Lisa. She ranges from guileless innocent to shameless provocateur in a performance of endless skill and inginuity that gives both (castmates Ricky) Coates and (Ken) Enright a leg up in this tour-de-force trifecta."

Kate Carruthers, "Private Eyes:" Bainbridge Performing Arts: "BPA's production, directed with equal touches lean and mean by director Kate Carruthers and tremendously acted by her cast of five, more than does justice to the play's "nothing is as it seems" aesthetic. ... it could all get confusing. Instead, BPA's staging often teeters at the edge of surreal without ever losing its footing, thanks not only to Dietz's machinations but to Carruthers' taut pace and attention to detail, the intensity and believability of the performances and a set-and-lighting environment (both by Mark Sell) that contributes to the off-kilter feel of things, sometimes gliding fluidly on and off stage behind scenes that've already gotten under way."

"The Who's Tommy," Bainbridge Performing Arts: I saw it on what was doubtless the worst night of its run, and it was still dazzling; filled with great performances, powerful imagery and imaginative storytelling. The sheer scope and ambition of director Teresa Thuman's production gave it the narrowest of edges over Ovation!'s two 2012 offerings, which were both tremendous.

Also noted: "The Full Monty," Bainbridge Performing Arts; "My Fair Lady," Ovation Musical Theatre Bainbridge; "The Pirates of Penzance," Ovation! Musical Theatre Bainbridge; "Hansel and Gretel," Bainbridge Performing Arts; "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris," Key City Public Theatre.

BEST SHOW — NON-MUSICAL

"Private Eyes," Bainbridge Performing Arts: Edge-of-your-seat, back-on-your-heels stuff by Steven Dietz, fully realized by director Kate Carruthers, her crack cast of five and her cadre of tech wizards. Surreal and hilarious, it kept you guessing throughout.

Also noted: "Hot L Baltimore," Western Washington Center for the Arts; "The Art of Dining," Key City Public Theatre; "Torch Song Trilogy," Changing Scene Theatre Northwest; "Twelfth Night," Key City Public Theatre; "The Women," Bainbridge Performing Arts.

BEST SEASON

Bainbridge Performing Arts delivered not two, but three musicals of quality and diversity, slipping translator-director Lisa Mandelkorn's excellent new version of the opera "Hansel and Gretel" in at year's end. BPA also was responsible for the crackling-good drama of "Private Eyes," and also managed a couple of limited-run "black box"-style shows, giving audiences great entertainment and great value.

While they only do two productions a year, though, the island's other company, Ovation! Musical Theatre Bainbridge, was a force to be reckoned with, as well, hitting it out of the park with both their 2012 offerings.

Up in Port Townsend, Key City had another stellar season, while "Torch Song Trilogy" helped re-establish the Changing Scene Theatre Northwest as a strong option for Bremertonians wanting to stay close to home. Bremerton Community Theatre's season was highlighted by the hilarious "The 39 Steps," and Port Orchard's Western Washington Center for the Arts scored on both dramatic (the ensemble comedy "Hot L Baltimore") and musical (the unexpectedly warm "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas") fronts. Jewel Box regulars had a consistent menu including the intriguing "The Fourth Wall" and the classic "The Sunshine Boys." Port Gamble Theatre Company continued to strengthen its toehold in the north end, and CSTOCK finished its season with a bang, packing 'em in with its holiday production of "Annie." a coup for first-time director Erin McKiernan.